


Ghost ; Sweet Pea

by americanaspacecadet



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drug Use, F/M, Fight Scenes, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-02-23 21:52:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13199295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/americanaspacecadet/pseuds/americanaspacecadet
Summary: a story about a boy and a girl who are kind of in love.better described as: the serpent breaks into the northsider's house to get her away from a mundane life, in exchange for parties and road trips.--this story is mostly written in the late hours of the night, so... sorry not sorry if it kinda sucks. :^)--previously known as rain on me (youtube fic)





	1. 1 ; in the beginning

**Author's Note:**

> hey! here's a playlist specially made for this story!  
> you can find the link at the end of the chapter  
> \--  
> tracklist:  
> jocelyn flores - xxxtentacion  
> laughter lines - bastille  
> wonderland - caravan palace  
> resonance - home  
> colors (stripped) - halsey  
> best friends - grandson  
> gooey - glass animals  
> broken bones - crx  
> agnes - glass animals  
> \--  
> happy reading!

_i know you're somewhere out there_

\--

With the motor purring, he takes one last look at the address scrawled on the scrap paper by Toni before cutting the engine and dismounting the bike. Creeping up to the foundation, his face splits with a familiar soft grin as he finds her window, and scales the side of the building to reach it. Testing the strength of the seals on the edge, he prays to whatever the hell is in the clouds that there is no alarm system on her house.

 

When he successfully breaks the seals with no alarms blaring, he slithers in, his short, slicked back hair reminiscent of a snake’s black scales. His heavy leather jacket shuffles gently, his beaten leather boots barely making a sound as he lands with the grace of a tiger on a prowl. His dog tags glimmer in the faint street light coming through the window, opposite to the one he had crept through.

 

Rolling his shoulders to extend to his full height, he steps over the assorted clothing tossed haphazardly onto the cool wood floor, approaching the bed on the other side of the room. He grips the metal of the bed frame, tapping his rings on the intricate designs. The girl continues to sleep, so he moves further.

 

Slinking over to the side of her bed, he barely gets a chance to do anything before her eyes crack open, her body launching backwards while confusion and fear quickly turns to anger.

“What the hell are you doing in my room? In fact, what are you doing in my house?” she growls, sitting up suddenly before ducking down at the realization she was _severely_ underdressed.

He tries to not to stare as he answers her question. “I told you there was a party going on at the Whyte Wyrm, hosted via Toni, and I knew you wouldn’t come without persuasion.”

She viciously swings at him, her fist barely grazing his arm. “I told you dude. I’m not going to anymore goddamn parties. Not after what happened last time. Now get out of here before I kick your ass.”

He rolls his eyes. “You’ll be lucky if you even reach my knee.”

He can barely get his last words out before she leaps from her blankets, wrapping a leg around his waist and an arm around his neck, successfully bringing him to the floor with her on top.

His face hardens into an unreadable expression as she locks her vision with his, the link short before she stands up suddenly, lightly stepping on his chest as she strides towards her closet.

“What am I wearing,” she asks, shuffling through the dark fabrics.

“You’re coming with?” he chokes out, making her turn back to face him with a quirked eyebrow.

“Why the fuck not,” she sighs, turning back around. “You’re already here. Now, what am I wearing?”

He shrugs, the gesture reflected on the mirror hung on the closet door.

“Layers, for one thing. I came on my bike-”

“We’re showing up on bikes? How childish,” She quips sarcastically.

He rolls his eyes again. “A motorcycle you dumbass. So dress in layers that can be easily shed.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Are we dancing?”

“If I get drunk enough, anything is possible.”

She laughs softly. “I want to hear some of those stories.”

“Whatever. Just get dressed.”

“Close your eyes.”

He looks at her with confusion. “Why?”

“I want it to be a surprise.”

“Fine, whatever. Just do it,” he mutters, shuffling so his back was facing her.

She smiles, turning back towards the closet. “And no peeking. I can see you!”

He grumbles, resting his chin in his hands. She retrieves a smoky grey flannel, a torn up barely there black punk tank top, and shredded black jeans. Quickly switching out her underwear for spandex, she dons the rest of her clothing before combing her fingers through her ocean blue pixie hair, shrugging on an old military coat, and shoving her feet into charcoal black combat boots.

“You can turn around now,” she purrs, cracking her knuckles. He stands and turns, shuffling backwards in slight surprise.

“I guess you _can_ dress up,” he murmurs, and she scoffs.

“Believe it or not, I _am_ female.”

“I don’t doubt it now.”

She rolls her eyes, her hands settling on her hips. “Am I supposed to bring anything else besides myself and my phone?”

He shakes his head, waltzing back over to the window. “Unless you have a secret booze stash your momma doesn’t know about. You ready to go, princess?”

She pauses for a second, hoping her reaction to the taunting nickname wasn’t obvious. “I guess. Let’s blow this popsicle stand, Serpent.”

“Ladies first,” He says, pushing the window open once again.

She obliges, leaping to grip the curtain rod before swinging herself out of the lunette and into the dewy midnight grass. He follows close after, sealing the secret entry once more before snatching the keys from his pocket.

“So,” she barks, not worrying as much about volume. “How afraid of your driving should I be? It's been a while since I've rode with you.”

He laughs, his canines catching the light. “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

She snorts. “Guess I’ll just have to hold on tight.”

He stops moving, the only thing breaking him from his trance being her laughter as she slaps him on the back.

“Relax, Sweets. Now come on, let’s go.”

\--

link [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/stumplette_band_n3rd/playlist/2acd6LzdzJyjwLTLP1XQDO).


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sometimes the past shouldn't be let go.  
> \--  
> songfic section.

\------

_ ashen faces in cold breeze _

\------

Picking up a beer bottle from the case on the back seat, she wraps her legs tightly around Sweet Pea as he cruises down the backroads. Withdrawing a knife from her coat pocket, she skillfully pops the cap off of the bottle onto the road.

“How long has it been since you’ve been to a party, Maria?” He asks, flicking on the signal before flying around the corner.

“It’s been a good while, dude. After I got through all that Northsider bullshit, I just kind of lost any shred of wanting to party. So, I got through 2 more years of high school, worked a side jobs at Pop’s, then ended up where I am now.”

“And where is that?”

She sighs. “Stuck in senior year at Riverdale High, dating the same type of guy I’ve been stuck with since 10th grade.”

He shakes his head humorlessly. “What do you see in him?”

“Normalcy. Not sticking out like a sore thumb like I have all my life.”

“Oh yeah, I remember now,” He tuts. “I’d always pull your pigtails on the Sweetwater River playground.”

“Yeah, you were always a  _ pain in my ass _ ,” She snorted, taking another sip of her beer. “I’d yell and cry and run to my mom.”

Sweet Pea laughs, then cranks the handlebards to maneuver towards the edge of town. When neither of them spoke, the dragged-out ride settled into a stiff silence. 

Maria sighs, setting her beer between her knees before reaching around Sweet Pea and plugging her phone into the aux cable. Opening her music library, only a few seconds pass before Bastille’s eerie yet soothing synths flow through the speakers.

 

_ “You took me to your favorite place on Earth, _

_ To see the tree they cut down ten years from your birth; _

_ Our fingers traced in circles ‘round its history, _

_ We brushed our hands right back in time through centuries.” _

 

“Do you remember our tree?” Pea asks, pulling off onto another branch of the roads. “That tall maple that sat right in the middle of the park?”

“Yeah,” Maria replies, laughing softly. “I also remember when we fell out of it.”

“That was all you!”

“Bullshit,” She yells, her laughter now racking through her body. “You thought we could fly!”

“I’m Peter Pan!” Pea mocks his younger, edgeless self, gesturing wildly. “C’mon Wendy! Let’s fly to Neverland!”

 

_ “As you held me down, you said: _

_ ‘ I’ll see you in the future when we’re older, _

_ And we are full of stories to be told; _

_ Cross my heart and hope to die, _

_ I’ll see you with your laughter lines.’ ” _

 

“Do you remember our first crossed-heart slash blood-pact promise?” Maria replies with another question, shifting so she could lay her head on him, her hands on his thighs

“Remind me what happened again?” He asks, taking a sip of the beer Maria passes to him.

“We were at the park back in the summer before 5th grade, and we were on the swingset near that old tree that got cut down. It was the week before you were supposed to move away, so we decided to make a pact that we’d stick together and stay friends until the day we died. So I took an knife I found in my bedside table, and cut both of our palms open. Then we held hands and made our pact; Do you remember it?”

“ ‘Blood from two bloodlines, together forever. Friend of mine, both here and wherever.’ What kind of friend would I be if I forgot?”

Maria smiles, her eyes watery as she caught a glimpse of the scar the pact left behind. “You kept the scar?”

Pea grins. “You think I’d get rid of it?”

“It’s just been so long, you’d think you’d have gotten rid of it or it would’ve faded..” She replies, her voice wavering on the last word. “That was the last time we ever saw each other.”

 

_ “Changes on our hands and on our faces, oh, oh; _

_ Memories are mapped out by the lines we'll trace. _

_ As you held me down you said:  _

_ ‘ I'll see you in the future when we're older, _

_ And we are full of stories to be told;  _

_ Cross my heart and hope to die, _

_ I'll see you with your laughter lines.’ "  _

 

Pea’s smile falters, and he reaches back to Maria. Taking her small hand into his, his thumb traces over the old scar, the flesh still slightly raised where her incision had been made.

 

_ “Ashen faces in cold breeze, _

_ ashen faces in cold breeze; _

_ Armed with stories you will leave, _

_ Oh, armed with stories you will leave.” _

 

“Do you think old man FP will let us light a bonfire for the party?” Maria asks, finally linking her fingers with Sweet Pea. “Or is he still stuck in jail?”

“Oh no, a bonfire is definitely happening. He moved out of that gross jail cell the day after sophomore year ended.”

 

_ “I'll see you in the future when we're older; _

_ And we are full of stories to be told.” _

 

“Are you ready to tell some great stories to people you haven’t seen in years?” Pea mocks, laughing gently.

“I’m just ready to waste a night with some of my best friends,” Maria replies, grinning from ear to ear.

 

_ “Cross my heart, and hope to die;  _

_ I'll see you with your laughter lines! _

_ I'll see you in the future when we're old; _

_ I'll see you in the future when we're old!” _

 

As the song fades out, the bike rolls into the lot. Pulling the bike to a stop, Pea watches as Maria leaps off of the seat before sprinting towards a small, confident shadow in the front door of the Wyrm.

“Toni!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading chapter 2!  
> -Spacekid


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dance dance, they're falling apart in half time.  
> \--  
> songfic part 2

\----

_i know all these things never happen_

\----

Pea watches in disbelief as Maria runs towards the bar, bowling into Toni before she can even make her way onto the front steps. Their similar laughs ring out in the quiet of the dead streets, the only other sound being the music rumbling from inside the Wyrm and Sweet Pea’s heart shifting.

“Topaz! It’s so good to see you,” Maria cheers, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. “It’s been way too long, babe.”

Toni smiles, patting her back gently. She lifts her head up to face Sweet Pea. “Glad you could get this gremlin out of her cave. I feel like I haven’t seen her in fucking decades.”

“It’s only been a few months, Toni, don’t be so dramatic. That’s my job,” Maria teases, ruffling Toni’s hair gently. She smiles widely, her arm still draped around Maria’s shoulders.

Toni and Maria had met that 7th grade year that Sweet Pea became a Serpent, and he sometimes felt that Maria had used Toni to replace him. He knew this wasn’t true, but the way they were still connected so close had to mean something, right? Especially after the scene Maria had made when Sweet Pea practically fell into her room at midnight, coated in bruises and gashes. Pea shakes his head, trying to will the jumbled and confusing emotions away before he made another big scene. Trotting up to the door, he plasters on his trademark stone face before sliding into the open door. Toni nods to him, and slips in afterwards.

Maria waits on the front steps, her head reeling. Pea’s façade definitely wasn’t real, that much she knew. But something else was off; for once in her life, she didn’t know what was hurting her closest friend. Then again, it had been almost 5 years since they were truly friends. Raking a hand through her hair, she sighs before entering the house herself.

_“Sweet Pea, what the hell am I gonna do about you?”_

\---

The music pulses in the large open bar, the pool tables and bar stools sorted and crammed into the back rooms. The floorspace wide, the lights blinding as the flash everywhere, bodies swarming near the speakers. Drinks were running rampant, a stereotypical red solo cup practically glowing in almost every outstretched hand. Shuffling across the back wall, Maria felt lost at sea with the waves of sweaty bodies.

Suddenly, as if an angel had brought him forward, the seas part and Toni emerges. The previous song fades out, bringing in the soft tones of the next.

“Maria! You gotta come dance! They’re playing our song,” She cheers, a wide grin smearing itself across her face. Maria scans the room one last time for Pea, before shaking off her bad feelings and letting Toni drag her onto the makeshift dance floor.

 

_“Just imagine a trip to a wonderful land;_

_Of candy, and jam, and ice cream...”_

 

The beat starts, Toni and Maria moving in perfect sync. Clapping loudly, they cheer as the crowd bubbles to let them show off a bit.

 

_“I gotta hit that street you better watch it,_

_With a gat that I cock with a full clip;_

_I got the whip, got the pitch thought I'd keep it undercover,_

_All up in the club just to live it up.”_

 

Pacing a circle around Toni, Maria grins wolfishly as she drops low, twisting and arching like a cat while twitching her arms like she was casting spells. Toni mirrors her like a gemini’s twin, returning her gestures.

 

_“See the stone cold face, try to knock it,_

_I can't be trapped, never walk, I'm a rocket;_

_I gotta be in it, I gotta grip in it,_

_I gotta be-ba-da-be-ba-da-be-da-be-it-”_

 

As the chorus beats kick into high gear, Toni catches Maria’s foot as she steps into her hand, effectively throwing her into a backflip before she gracefully lands on her feet in a spiderman-like crouch. The crowd yells, eating it up like a crowd of wolves to a feast. Leaping back up to meet Toni’s eyes, Maria takes her hand before twirling herself around, spinning out before coming back to meet Toni’s grasp.

 

_“See the big gold chain that I'm rockin',_

_I got the ring for the bling, not a problem;_

_I got a stash full of cash that I owe to my brother,_

_All up in the club, just to live it up.”_

 

Pacing back around each other, Toni creates moves to mime the lyrics, gesturing around her neck before flashing out her fingers and moving her arms through invisible waves.

  


_“Look how the streets turn cold when I walk it,_

_It's my rules no man can stop it;_

_I throw a kick so quick that'll leave you in the gutter,_

_Leave you in the gutter, gutter, gutter...”_

 

Maria laughs, styling a dramatic model’s walk around Toni, throwing up her hands in a ‘stop’-like fashion before high-kicking the air just a foot away from Toni’s face to ‘kick her in the gutter’, dropping her to the floor in mock-injury. She leaps back into action as the chorus beats fly back in, dropping them into their swing-dance routine.

 

_“Just imagine, a wonderful land...”_

 

Toni and Maria pause, holding each other in a tight pose as the music slows, the lyrics bleeding through to keep them steady.

 

_“I know all these things never happen,_

_I'm just a random girl with gentle manners;_

_In my dreams I rock and I rule the wonderland,_

_rule the wonderland...”_

 

As the chorus jumps back in for one last hurrah, the duo tap-dance to the beat, their last bit ending with Maria making a quick leap into Toni’s sturdy arms. The song fades out, leaving them breathless as the other party-goers roar in applause and pure adrenaline around them. Maria hugs Toni tightly.

“I can’t believe we nailed that after all this time!” Maria cheers, dropping from Toni’s arms gently.

“The backflip especially! I never thought we’d be able to do that, but it looks like we just needed some time,” Toni laughs, her eyes glazed with energy still needing to be spent.

Maria sighs happily, scanning the crowd for Sweet Pea once more. When she fails to find him, her heart stops. Her fears were starting to unravel around her.

“Toni,” Maria whispers, barely heard over the music as they shuffle away from the center of the room. “ _Where’s Sweet Pea_?”

Toni’s excitement dissipates quickly, her head practically on a 360 swivel as she searches.

“Fuck,” She growls, Sweet Pea completely out of sight. “We need to get the hell out of here and find him. Now.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sometimes nostalgia comes when you least expect it.

\----

_ resonance _

\----

Sliding out the front door like two Breakfast Club rejects, Toni and Maria leave the party behind. Panic wells in Maria’s throat as Sweet Pea’s bike never shows in her vision. Whipping back around to face Toni, he stills as tears build in her eyes.

“Maria, it’s going to be alright. Trust me, we’ll find him,” Toni soothes, wrapping an arm around Maria’s shoulders. “It’s Sweet Pea, he couldn’t have gone far.”

Maria sighs, shuffling her feet. The cool late winter air swirls around her legs, the wind biting at the exposed skin around the tears in the fabric. Pulling the flannel tighter around her body, she breaks out of Toni’s grasp before running into the night.

“Maria! Wait! You don’t know who or what is out there!”

Maria whirls around, her lightly tear-streaked face making Toni stumble back. “I don’t know, Toni. But I’m not afraid of what I’m about to find. I’m not losing Sweet Pea again.”

And as Maria sprints off into the fog that had settled over the Southside, Toni stands in shock over what her friend, nay, one love had basically said.

_ “I’m in love with Sweet Pea, and I won’t stop until I never lose him again.” _

\---

Her feet pound against the pavement, the cold air trying its best to choke her. Reaching the gates of the trailer park, her chest tightens as the tens of trailers surround her.

“Sweet Pea?” She yells, her eyes becoming one with the ocean. “Sweet Pea!”

An old serpent stands on the porch of a trailer, smoke floating from his pipe. “Sweet Pea isn’t here, girlie. Hasn’t been here all day. Don’t know why you’re looking for him, he’s not one to be with a Northsider. Never liked ‘em, to be truthful.”

“He’s my friend,” Maria speaks quickly. “He invited me to the party at the Wyrm, then a few things took place before he took off.”

“Check Sweetwater River,” The old man mutters. “Good luck. And don’t freeze.”

Maria nods a quick thank you, leaving the old man with his musings of “damn kids and their ripped jeans.”

\---

Taking a shortcut through Fox Forest, the creeping sensation that something wasn’t right continues nagging at Maria’s mind. Everything seems... off. The trees too dark, the fog too heavy. A rustle sounds from the bushes, catching Maria’s attention.

She calls out, against her better judgement. “Hello?”

The rustling gets louder, surrounding her from all sides. Whipping her head back and forth, she catches only a quick glance at the faces around her before something solid hits the back of her head, knocking her out cold.

\---

_ A rush of wind filled her ears, the water of the river slithering across the shore. Wiggling her toes in the rocks and sand, she smiled as Sweet Pea ran with the other kids on the shoreline. _

_ “Maria! Come join us!” Pea grinned wildly, the football nestled in the crook of his elbow. _

_ “No! Football is for stinky boys!” _

_ Sweet Pea laughed, walking over to her. “C’mon, Ria, just one game! Toni’s playing too, see?” _

_ Maria caved. “Fine. But don’t mention anything to Archie, okay? I don’t want him to know that I played. I’m supposed to be the pretty one.” _

_ Sweet Pea wrapped an arm around her shoulder, his legs already longer than hers at just 8 years old. “Just chill and come have fun! Quit being a stick in the mud, as Mr. Jones says. Did you know he calls Jughead that sometimes?” _

_ “I would believe it,” Maria snorts. “He’s a stinker sometimes!” _

_ “You bet! Now come on, nobody wants to keep waiting!” _

_ “I’m coming!” Maria retorts. _

_ “Good! Because you need to wake up.” _

_ “What?” _

“Wake up, Serpent Slut.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS CHAPTER !! I know it's been a LONG time coming, but between writing essays and frantically completing homework at 2 am to working almost every weekend, my plate has been maxed out. Thankfully, I'll be on Spring Break from now until April 9th, so I'm going to pump out these chapters as fast as I can. I want this story to be the best that it can be, so I'm plotting things out to the smallest detail.  
> Thanks for reading this stupidly long end note. I hope I won't let you guys down!  
> -Space Kid  
> (PS: sorry this chapter's so short! I promise there's a reason for it.)


	5. Chapter 5

\---

_ everything is blue _

\---

Maria startles awake, the last threads of the memory slipping from her grasp. 

_ “Why did Sweet Pea come up? Where the hell am I?” _

She repeats her last question out loud, her lips curling into a sneer.

“You’re in The House of The Dead. And us Ghoulies got you right where we want to. So you’re going to do as I say, and no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You hear me, bitch?”

Maria tries to bite her tongue, but still lets out a snippy little, “Yes sir.”

The guy’s  _ royally _ pissed at this point, and it suddenly dawns on Maria that she may have just a made a bad choice.

The Ghoulie snaps. “You wanna get smart with me? Two can play, sweetheart.”

He brings his fist across her face in a quick clip, the pain blossoming from her left cheekbone. She grits her teeth, her heartbeat quickening as the Ghoulie brings out his switchblade.

“I’ll cut you, bitch,” He yells, bringing the tip of the knife to just graze her throat. “Cut up that pretty little face of yours until neither your Serpent buddies or your little Northside cliques recognize you. How does that sound?”

“Sounds like a shit deal to me,” Maria snaps, looking the Ghoulie square in the eyes. “Besides, you think I’m pretty, right? Why mess up something you like?”

The Ghoulie yells again, bringing the switchblade down the side of her face in a neat thin line. Maria curses, the pain of ropes on her wrists and ankles now coming into focus.

“You act all tough because you think someone’s gonna come help you. You think you’re hot shit because you’re a Northsider. Well listen here,  _ Bulldog _ , because things are changing up a bit,” The Ghoulie growls, his faces inches from Maria’s. “Verne, bring me the camera.”

“Yes, sir.” A voice, Verne mutters, and it dawns on Maria that her and the Ghoulie weren’t so alone after all. As she looks around the room, more and more bodies come into focus, their faces a mix of anger and excitement.

“ _ They’re looking at me like I’m some kind of meal, _ ” Maria’s voice echoes in her head, her thoughts dark. “ _ What the hell are they gonna do to me? _ ”

The camera gets shuffled just a few feet away from her, the lens focused like a laser on her face. 

“Smile for the camera,  _ bitch _ . I’ve got quite a few places to send this and not much time to do so.”

Maria plasters on a god awful smile, blood running from her nose to mix with her teeth, the cut running from her ear to her jaw screaming out. A black eye was already starting to bloom, like a sweet pea in the spring.

“Listen up, Northsiders and Southsiders. I have something, nay,  _ someone _ , you treasure,” The Leader barks, standing in front of the camera before grinning and moving aside, revealing Maria. “Your little friend is in my hands. Move quickly, and she’ll stay in one piece. But, if you take your sweet time like usual...”

The Ghoulie trails off, the switchblade clicking as its metallic shine is revealed. Maria’s eyes stay level with the camera, her fiery gaze unwavering as The Ghoulie takes another swing with his knife, swiping through her jackets and into her shoulder. Maria cries out, blood staining her grey flannel and darkening her black tank top. The Ghoulie roars with laughter, his tobacco stained teeth glinting with golden caps.

“I’m not fucking around this time,” The Ghoulie warns, blocking Maria from the camera’s view once more. Other Ghoulies bubble around him, filling the frame. “We’ll kill her if we have to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Thanks again for reading. Let me know if you liked it by leaving me some Kudos. I love you guys so much, and I thank you for your support.
> 
> -Spacekid.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's go time, kids.

\---

_ i never learn from my mistakes _

\---

The video cuts off there. Jughead’s eyes grow wide, his head swiveling to look at both his Serpents and his Northside companions. His eyes land on Sweet Pea, lips curling into a sneer.

“You invited her to that party,” Jughead snarls. “Did you see her leave?”

“No,” Sweet Pea replies, his voice low and dangerous. “I left just after the dance off.”

“Maria and I were looking for him-” Toni offers, but Jughead cuts her off.

“Doesn’t matter, Toni. Sweet Pea left, Maria’s kidnapped by Ghoulies, and we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. Whatever we decide to do better help us, and her, or I swear to God we’re screwed.”

Tensions ran high in the common room at Riverdale High, a thick blanket layered on top of them all.

And then it got worse.

“So which one of you Southside scum got my girlfriend kidnapped?”

The pressure crushes them all. Reggie Mantle waltzes into the room, a near permanent sneer plastered on to his face. 

“Was it you, Jones? Huh? Your little friends backing you up?”

“Back the hell down, Reggie,” Archie warns, a solid grip on Jughead’s shoulder and an icy tone to his voice. “We don’t need shit to get ugly in here again like the last time you started something.”

“I think it’s about damn time something got started,” Reggie growls, going toe to toe with Jughead. “Because every time something happens to put a Northsider in danger, it’s usually a Serpent’s fault.”

“Last I checked, Reginald,” Veronica steps in, pushing the boys back and jabbing an acrylic nail into the Bulldog’s chest. “Serpents don’t play nice with Ghoulies.”

Reggie’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then relaxed back into a squint before his angry facade could drop. “Are you fuckin’ serious? You let the Ghoulies get her?”

“We didn’t let them do anything, you football headed fuck,” Sweet Pea snarls, stepping up to the plate. “She wandered off. End of story.”

Reggie unfortunately wasn't taking that for an answer. “I saw you sneak into her house, you slimy bastard. You're the one who dragged her in.”

“She could have said no,” Sweet Pea barks. “She wanted to go. She left on her own terms. Is your head so far up your own ass that you won't let her have her own conscience?”

Reggie growls like a dog, his eyes locked onto Sweet Pea. But like an angel coming from the heavens, Weatherby calls Reggie down to the office.

“This isn’t over, Southside Shit,” Reggie threatens, backing out of the room.

“It’s over until you think of better insults!” Toni hisses back, watching him stroll down the hall.

“Okay, seriously, game plan time,” Jughead reconvenes, gathering the crews into a circle. “Toni, Fangs, you’ll go with Sweet Pea for perimeter around the Ghoulie Den. Maria will want to see a familiar face when she’s rescued, so Archie and I will get her out of there. Betty, Veronica, you guys will be the distraction team.”

“What’s our distraction?” Betty inquires, an odd tone to her voice.

Jughead thinks for a few moments before tossing her a match. “Fire power.”

 

\------

 

As night falls over the Southside, three Serpents slither to and from the shadows. The streetlights only serve as snapshots of their features: a jacket here, a stray lock of hair there. They meet back near the Den, casting deep blue-black silhouettes across the fractured asphalt.

“Okay you three,” Jughead whispers, tucked against a nearby building. “Run over your part of the plan again.”

“Fangs, Sweet Pea, and myself are keeping the perimeter clear. If anyone approaches, we subdue without harm.” Toni relays, emphasizing the ‘without harm’ to Sweet Pea. He grumbles, but nods in agreement.

“Perfect, Topaz,” Archie chimes in. “Jug and I will head in once Betty and Veronica set off the package. We’ll keep in touch.”

“See you soon, bulldog,” Fangs adds, waving as he jogs back to the shadows. Toni and Sweet Pea melt away soon after, the occasional dull  _ whump _ of a Ghoulie going out cold.

Archie’s phone buzzes in his pocket. Fishing it out, a quick ‘ _ party in t minus 10’ _ flashes onto the screen, sending his pulse to his throat. Sending a quick nod to Jughead, they brace themselves against the wall, the door just a few feet from them.

“Five, four, three, two...”

And as the clock strikes midnight, a heavy rumble snakes through the ground, a muffled boom sounding not long after. Ghoulies stream from every corner of the subdivision, leaving Archie and Jughead’s entrance near unblocked. Keeping their backs to the wall, a quick glance confirms that it’s time to dive into The House Of The Dead.

 

\------

 

Scampering back to Pop’s, Betty and Veronica catch both their breath and their sanity before stepping into the all nighter diner, waving to Pop and settling into a booth. Veronica sends a quick _‘home_ _base’_ to Archie before gripping one of Betty’s hands tightly.

“You think they’ll be okay, B?” Veronica murmurs, idly stirring the coffee left by Pop just moments before.

“With all the other things we’ve gone through? I’ll think they’ll be just fine, V. Besides, I’m just worried for Sweet Pea once this is all over.”

Veronica peers up through her hair. “Oh? Why’s that?”

“Maria might tear him a new one for ditching her at a party he invited her to.” Betty quips, stifling a laugh. Veronica smiles, her eyes glittering.

“I hope you’re right, Betty.”

 

\------

 

Creeping through the hazy basement of the House, Jughead holds a small pipe, Archie armed with a few stones and his phone. Reaching a heavily blanketed door frame, they both freeze as voices cut through the thick black fabric.

“Quarter past midnight on night two, and your nights in shining armor still aren’t here, sweetheart. What do you think’s gonna happen to you, honey dear?”

“I think I’m going to rip your fucking head off, dipshit,” Maria snarls. “Didn’t mommy dearest teach you not to beat women? Or did you fuck her up before she got the chance?”

“Shut the  _ hell  _ up, you slimy bitch. You’re in no position to act high and mighty when I could easily kill you.”

“I’d like to see you try, Malachi.” Maria growls, and the boys burst into the room. A swift bar to the back of the head and a pebble to the forehead for good measure knocks the Ghoulie down, his tobacco ridden form collapsing to the floor. Maria tenses, but relaxes as soon as Jughead bends to her level.

“Let’s get the hell out of here, yeah?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT IT'S HERE!!
> 
> sorry for the long wait!! thanks to all of those who stuck around. i decided to split this chapter into two (so the song for this chapter will also apply to the next). i hope you guys are still just as excited as i am! it took me a really long time to remember how i wanted this to go (oops), but i think it's gonna be great :)


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